Shuttle changing loom



Aug. 21, 1934. v. LINDSJO SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOM Filed Feb. 25, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR. VERA/EB L/NDsJo.

W/T/VE55 CZ/NTON S. Coaue/v.

ATTORNEY.

Aug. 21, 1934. v U DSJO 1,971,225

SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOM Filed Feb. 23, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W/T/VESS.

CL //v7-o/v 5. Cbsule/v.

IN VENTOR. VEENEE Lyvosvc.

ATTORNEY.

l atented Aug. 21 1934 1,971,225. S UTTLE CHANGING LooM' Verner Lindsjo, Hopedale, Mass, assignor to Draper Corporation, Hope'dale, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application February23, 1933, Serial No. 658,010 9 Claims. (01. 1 39-230) The present invention relates to shuttle chang-' ing looms, and has more particular reference to the mechanism by which the shuttle changing.

operation is initiated.

, ..In looms of the type'involved, the running shuttle is. automatically removed, and another shuttle automatically inserted in the shuttle box, when the filling supply in the running shuttle becomes substantially depleted, such shuttle chang-' ing operation being initiated by means'under control of a filling feeler. The shuttle changing operation leaves the newly'inserted shuttle entirely within the shuttle box but spaced inwardly away from the picker. Since the action of the picker stick is not varied at the time of changing shuttles, the spacing of the shuttle away fromthe picker results in the first pick thereafter being weaker than usual, which in turn results .in the shuttle arriving late the opposite side of the loom and, occasionally, not entering fullyand com-i pletely into the proper position in the shuttle box. This abnormal action of the shuttle is disadvantageous, principally because the feelermay strike" the shuttle wall and thus be induced to unnecessarily call for replenishment.

A further disadvantage of certain types of shuttle changing looms is that two successive transfers, or indications for transfer; may result in the running filling being cut and forming a :partial pick in the cloth.

It has been proposed heretofore to remedy the" the first mentioned defect will be eliminated,- at.

least from a practical standpoint, and the second 1 will be completely overcome.

' Accordingly, it'is the principal object of my invention to provide, in a shutlechanging loom havingafilling feeler and means controlled there-. by for initiating operation of the shuttle changing -mechanism, means for positively preventing initiation of a second shuttle changingoperation within one pick after completion of one such operation.

Further objects of the invention will, innpart, 'be hereinafter more specifically enumerated or,

will become obvious as the description proceeds. The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings, of which v Fig. 1 is a perspective view of so much of a loom as is necessary to illustrate the applicability of my invention thereto;

Fig. 2 is aplan view of certain mechanism appearing at the left part of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the mechanism appearing in Fig. 1, but showing the parts in the I relative positions they assume at a different time in the cycle of operations; and

Fig. e is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the parts in still a different position. i

i The loom to which my invention has beenfapplied has the parts thereof supported by a usual frame, of which only the breastvbeam 1 is shown. Of such parts, I have shown the lay 2. mounted on 1 swords 3 for oscillation toward and from the V front of the loom, i. e. toward and from the breast beam 1, and have also shown the reed 4, left and right hand shuttle boxes 5 and 6 respectively, a picker stick 7.(of which two are employed), a filling feeler 8 at one side of the loom, a shuttle changing mechanism, and means for initiating operation of the'shuttle changing mechanism under control of the filling feeler. Other usual parts of the loom need not beherein illustrated or described as they are well known in the art and 535 form no part of the present invention.

The particular flling feeler illustrated is of the side slipping type provided with a blade 9 having a tip adapted to enter a slot 10 in the front box plate of the shuttle box 5, to feel the filling in the shuttle 11, the tip slipping upon abare, ornearlybare, filling carrier in the shuttle and serving thereby to indicate that the filling supply is substantially exhausted. This feeler is identical with that shown in Brown and Repass Patent 1,593,426, granted July 20, 1926, but any othersuitable feeler may be used if so desired.

Side slipping of the feeler stem results in theoperation of certain connections herein comprised of a rod 12 pivotally connected to a latch mo 12'. The latch is pivotally suspended from a link 13, after the manner of said Brown and Repass patent, and is weighted to normally hang out" of the path of the usual weft hammer l l. The'weft hammer is constitutedby a bell crank lever piv- 1r-5 oted on a stud 15 in the loom frame and actuated by a cam 16 on cam shaft 17 which is driven at the rate of one complete revolution for each two picks of the loom.

The cam 16 is designed-and timed to start the weft hammer on its forward movement just before the lay reaches front center on the pick when the shuttle is boxed on the feeler side of the loom. If the feeler does not operate at this time, the weft hammer merely reciprocates idly in the forked end 18 of the link 13. However, if the feeler does operate it will push rod 12 endwise and thus tilt latch 12 into the path of the weft hammer, whereupon continued forward movement of the latter will push link 13 forwardly.

The forward end of link 13 is connected to they upper end of an upstanding arm 19 fixed to the change shaft 20, which extends widthwise of the loom and is rotatably supported in bearings 21, 21 on the breast beam 1. Forward movement of the link 13 will serve to oscillate shaft 20, which in turn raises arm 22 on the shaft and, through link 23, raises dagger 24 into the path of a bunter, not

shown, on the right hand lay sword, the raising of dagger 24 constituting the final step in the initiation of the shuttle changing operation.

The shuttle changing mechanism is but fragmentarily illustrated. It is positioned entirely on the opposite side of the loom from the filling feeler and includes a magazine 25 containing a reserve supply of shuttles 26, 26 movable front and rear box plates 27, 28 in the shuttle box 6, operating arm 29, a shuttle pusher concealed beneath cover plate so, and certain other mechanism not'shown. The shuttle changing mechanism is not of the present invention but is disclosed and claimed in my prior Patent Number 1,850,30 granted March 22, 1932, to which reference may be had for a more complete disclosure of this particular mechanism. It is herein noted, however,- that such mechanism changes shuttles when the lay is at front center and no part of the loom stops While the change is being made.

It will be noted that certain stopping mechanism including shipper handle 31, shipper lever 32 and stop rod 33 are shown at the left of Fig. 1. This mechanism, while forming an essential part of the particular loom shown, does not operate directly with the mechanism forming the essence of the present invention and is illustrated merely to show one good relative disposition of the parts on the breast beam.

Before proceeding with a detailed description of the remainingparts of the illustrated embodiment of my invention, I wish to explain the meaning of the word pick as it is used herein. This word has a rather flexible meaning, but is herein employed to denote one complete cycle of movement of the lay, starting with the lay part way back on its rearward movement, at which time the picker stick is just starting its inward sweep. Thus, the filling feeler acts when, during one pick, the lay is at front center, while the shuttle changing'operation occurs on, or during, the subsequent pick,

The shuttle changing operation. occurs while the shuttle is in the right hand box, and the newly inserted shuttle is not fitted snugly against the picker on picker stick 7. The next pick will accordingly be abnormal in that the shuttle will:

not be thrown with normal force and will arrive late in the left hand shuttle box. The abnormality of the action of the shuttle may even be sufficient that the shuttle will not enter completely into the shuttle box 5 and the feeler tip Will strike, and slide upon, the wall of the shuttle. Thus, a second shuttle changing operation is initiated the very next pick aftercomplfitionof one such operation. If the shuttle changing mechanism be of the type that can operate repeatedly upon consecutive returns of the shuttle to the replenishing side of the loom, a needless change of shuttles will occur. Even though the shuttle changing mechanism is of a type that cannot thus change shuttles a second time the operation will be initiated and more or less of the parts will go through the motion of changing, and the running filling will be out. It is to the elimination of the possibility of initiating a second shuttle changing operation within one pick after the completion of one such operation that my invention pertains.

To this end, I have provided means for rendering the change initiating mechanism inoperative during the first pick after completion of a shuttle changing operation. The particular form of such means which I prefer includes a locking member 34 mounted on link 13 and bodily movable thereon to and from looking position. The member 34,

as shown, consists of a flat plate having a rearwardly and downwardly extending nose 35 and a slightly inclined abutment surface 36. A bolt 37, fixed in the locking member, passes through a horizontally extending slot38 in the link 13. A bolt 39 in the link 13 passes through a curved slot 40 in the locking member, the curvature of the slot providing two definite positions for the locking member. That is, when member 34 is in its normal, forward position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the curvature of slot 40 serves to retain the member in this position, and likewise when the member is in rearward locking position, as

shown in Fig. 3, the curvature of the slot 40 again serves to retain the member in position.

A fixed stop, conveniently constituted by an adjustable screw or bolt 41 threaded into an upstanding arm on bracket 42, serves to move the locking member to locking position. An inclined face 43 on bracket 42 cooperates with a similarly inclined face '44 on link 13 to raise the latter coincidentally with its forward movement, for a purpose presently to be described.

The operation of the above described mechanism is as follows:

As the lay approaches front center, with the shuttle in the left hand box 5 and the filling supply substantially exhausted, the feeler tip will slide upon the filling carrier and push on rod 12 to thereby tilt latch 12 up into the path of the weft hammer 14. At this time, the weft hammer is just starting its forward movement and it therefore engages latch 12' and pushes link 13 and arm 19 forwardly, thus rotating change shaft 20 and initiating operation of the shuttle changing mechanism in a manner that need not be further discussed.

Early in the forward movement of link 13, the inclined faces 43, 44 cause the link to be raised about its pivotal connection with the arm 19. The weft hammer 14, through engagement with latch 12', prevents the latter from rising with the link 13 and thus partially returns the latch to its normal lower position. At this time the part-s occupy the relative positions shown in 4, f-romwhich it will be noted that abutment surface 36 is just contacting the fixed stop screw 41. The lay, at this time, is approaching back center and the shuttle has been thrown toward the right hand shuttle box 6.

Continued forward movement of the weft hammer and link 13, while the locking member 34 is held stationary by stop screw 41, will result in relative movement of the locking member to locking position wherein bolt 39 is at the extreme forward end of slot 40 and nose 35 projects 1',9'?I,'225. oirer latch 12"- insufiicient proximity to the latter to lock the latch, rod 12 and feeler stem 9.

out of operation. Shortly after the completion of the forward movement of the weft hammer wardly, marking the completion of the second pick discussed.

When the lay is approximatelyhalf way back on the rearward movement the shuttle is thrown.

to the left hand box. Simultaneouslythe weft hammer moves to. its rearward position where it dwells until just before the lay again approaches front center. During the whole of this pick, which is the third discussed and the first after completion of the shuttle changing operation, the locking member 34 occupies locking position as shown in Fig. 3. Thus, at no time during this pick is it possible to initiate a second shuttle changing operation. However, as soon as this pick is completed (and the lay moves rearwardly) the forward movement of the weft hammer will r sult in the nose thereof engaging bolt 37 (see Figs. 2 and 3) and moving the looking member 34 forwardly away from locking position, link 13 remaining stationary at this time. The parts are thus reset to their normal positions.

It is noted particularly that the preventing means described is independent of the condition of the filling supply in the newly inserted shuttle, and this is desirable for the reason that, as above noted, even though the filling supply be substantially depleted a call for a shuttle changing operation at this time is not desirable as it would result in the running filling being cut. I have not illustrated the cutting mechanism or the manner in which the same would be operated as such are well known in the art and constitute merely one of the necessities for, rather than a constituent part of, my invention. A suitable form of thread cutting mechanism is shown in my prior Patent 1,850,305, granted March 22, 1932.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact form of my invention herein shown, as many changes may be made therein and I believe that I am the first inventor of the invention as broadly as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shuttle changing loom having a lay and a filling feeler, means for automaticallychanging shuttles while the lay is at front center, means for initiating operation of said shuttle changing means when said filling ieeler detects substantial exhaustion of the filling supply, and means for preventing operation of said filling feeler during the first pick after a shuttle changing operation, regardless of the condition of the filling supply in the newly inserted shuttle.

2. A shuttle changing loom having a side slip ping fillin feeler, means for automatically changing shuttles, means for initiating operation of said shuttle changing means when said filling feeler detects substantial exhaustion of the filling supply, and means operating independent of the condition of the filling supply for locking said feeler against side slipping movement during the first pick after a shuttle changing operation.

3. A shuttle changing loom having a lay and a filling feeler at one side thereof, means positioned at the opposite side of'the loom from said filling feeler for automatically changing shuttles while the lay is at front center, means for initiating operation of said shuttle changing means operative, and a fixed stop engaging said memwhen saidfilling feeler' detects substantial, exhaustion of ;the filling supply, and means for preventing two successive operations of said shuts tle (changing meansvon. consecutive movements oictheshuttle to the replenishing. side of the loom, said last mentioned means operating independent LOf'thE condition of. the filling supply in the shuttle, 4 a 4. A shuttle Ichangingloom having a side slipping filling vfeeler atone side thereof, means po-- sitionedatithe opposite side of the loom from said filling feeler for automatically changing shuttles; means for initiating operationof said shuttle changing means when said filling feeler detects substantial exhaustion of the filling supply, and means operating independent of the condition of the filling supply for locking said feeler against side slipping movement during the first pick after each shuttle changing operation.

5. A shuttle changing loom having a side slipping filling feeler at one side thereof, means positioned at the opposite side of the loom from said filling feeler for automatically changing shuttles, means for initiating operation of said shuttle changing means when said filling feeler detects substantial exhaustion of the filling supply, a locking member movable to and from lockmoving said member to locking position, and

means for moving said member from locking position when the first pick after each shuttle changing operation has been completed.

6. A shuttle changing loom having a filling feeler at one side thereof, means positioned at the 1 opposite side of the loom from said filling feeler for automatically changing shuttles, means for initiating operation of said shuttle changing means when said filling ieeler detects substantial exhaustion of the filling supply, a locking mem- 1 her carried by said second mentioned means and movable to and from locking position where it renders said filling feeler inoperative, and a fixed stop for engaging said locking member and positioning it in locking position each time a shuttle '2 changing operation is initiated.

'7. A shuttle changing loom having means at one side thereof for automatically changing shuttles, a filling feeler at the opposite side of the loom from said shuttle changing means, and 1 means for initiating operation of said shuttle changing means when said filling feeler detects substantial exhaustion of the filling supply, said second mentioned means including a change shaft extending widthwise of the loom, an arm on said shaft, a link connected to said arm for moving the latter, connections between said feeler and said link, a locking member mounted on said link and bodily movable thereon to and from looking position, where it renders said connections inher, upon movement of the said link, for moving said member to locking position.

8. A shuttle changing loom having means at one side thereof for automatically changing shutv tles, a filling feeler at the opposite side of the loom from said shuttle changing means, and means for initiating operation of said shuttle changing means when said filling feeler detects substantial exhaustionof the filling supply, said second mentioned means including a change shaft extending widthwise of the loom, an arm on said shaft, a link connected to said arm for moving the latter, connections between said feeler and said link, a locking member mounted on said link ply, said second mentioned means including a change shaft, an upstanding arm on said shaft, 2. link connected to said arm for moving the latter, a locking member mounted on said link and bodily movable thereon to and from locking position, where it locksisaid feeler against side slipping, means for moving said member to locking position each time a shuttle changing operation is initiated, and means for moving said member away from looking position during the second pick after completion of each shuttle changing operation.

VERNER LINDSJO. 

